Let's Take A Drive
by Inkoholic4U
Summary: Before Sam Witwicky put his grandfather's glasses on EBAY, Bumblebee searches the Earth trying to find the Cube. This is my story on how Bumblebee got his name. Bumblebee/OC
1. Chapter One

Chapter one:  
_Just a Day, Just an Ordinary Day_

It was going to be one of those days.

It was an often occurrence for Jeanie Mathews to find herself sitting with her two friends outside their favorite coffee shop. That Saturday morning when she had gotten up to go out with her friends, the weather had looked rather dreary. The dark gray clouds had been threatening rain for a few days now, though it had yet to really open up and let loose on the city below. So she had dressed preparing for what was usually inevitable in Clallam County. It rained more often than not so when one saw clouds it was only a matter of time before the heavens would open up and pours down on the poor inhabitants of this small Northwestern city.

Now, it was about two in the afternoon and the sun shone high above them barring down upon her and making her skin itch inside her clothes. Sweat perspired between her breasts and down along her back, making her restricting clothes cling to her awkwardly.

It was going to be a hot day, through and through and here she sat, sipping on her second triple shot latté, in a green quarter-sleeved shirt that reached all the way to her elbows and a pair of jeans that were marred from years of wear and tear. The dark denim had permanent stains that no detergent could wash out which she thought gave them character. They were her favorite pair. Her only reprieve from her attire was the holes at her knees which allowed a semblance of airflow to reach the flushed skin beneath. The wind breaker she had talked herself into wearing that morning was now tied loosely around her waist and made her wish she had a car. Then she could have put it away instead of creating more layers around her hips.

Turning to her two friends, she glowered at them a bit behind her coffee as she took another sip from its warm contents. Yeah, Mother Nature really liked to screw with her. What she wouldn't give for a cold frappe coffee instead.

Unlike herself, Amber and Lin were clad in lighter and much looser clothing. Dressed in shorts and tank tops, they had opted to forgo the jackets, for a more fashionable sense of attire. They would rather take the chance of freezing to death then dress for rain. Maybe listening to the weatherman every once in a while wouldn't be a half bad idea. Then maybe Jeanie could actually dress a little more in tune with the weather instead of looking up at the sky and taking a guess.

_There's always next time_, she mused to herself.

Amber snickered suddenly at something Lin had said, drawing Jeanie's attention from her own inner turmoil.

The three of them were friends, not best friends mind you but as close as three girls that didn't have a lot in common could be. Amber and Lin were thick as thieves though, having gone to school together for as long as they could remember. Jeanie had only joined their motley crew recently since she had been home schooled up until she entered high school two years ago. The three of them were close enough to where they could get along for the most part. Amber and Lin had a whole other group of friends which kept the three of them from hanging out at every chance they got outside of chores, part-time jobs and school.

Jeanie kind of preferred it that way though. Sure she liked Amber and Lin enough, but all they wanted to talk about was what shoes to wear with which outfit or which hot guy's ass looked better in their jeans. Jeanie didn't wear makeup and she didn't wear the latest fashionable outfit. She wore what felt comfortable and tied her mass of brunette curls up into a ponytail more often than not. She didn't spend hours in the bathroom each morning trying to get ready for school. She only spent enough time to take a shower, dress and take care of her hygiene needs before she had to race out the door.

It was a wonder sometimes why Amber and Lin picked her to be their friend when they could have easily ignored her like the rest of the school had done. While Jeanie was curious about why they befriended her on her first day of school, as they weren't well-known for their kind heartiness, she found she really didn't want to know the reason. If she had to guess, she would say they didn't find her much of a challenge in gaining a boy's attention. They had enough competition with each other to want anymore.

"-he is so hot," Amber sizzled next to her.

The small petite blonde leaned back on the table, causing her tank top to ride up and expose her pierced belly button. Amber shifted, drawing several male pedestrians walking by to take in the B size cup breast she flaunted with her low v-neckline. The table they sat at was right out in front of the coffee shop. If they got here early enough in the day they always commandeered the table to give them front row seats.

Following Amber's smoldering blue eyes to the guy who ran the counter, Jeanie just shook her head. That was why this was their table. It had a direct line of sight to the counter where Jim Mackey worked the counter taking orders and delivering coffee.

Amber made an appreciative sound beneath her breath when Jim turned to reach for something on the shelving behind him, giving them a nice view of his backside.

Amber Wells was your usual blonde haired, blued eyed southern beauty with a slightly tanned and toned body. She was seen more often than not in a pair of short shorts or miniskirts, with a V-neck type shirt to expose as much as decently possible. You would never see her hair pulled into a half hazard ponytail like Jeanie's.

"Mm hmm," Lin hummed beneath her breath agreeing with Amber.

She too sat on the table, leaning back on her elbows that kept her from being completely sprawled across its surface.

Lin Jones was the exact opposite of Amber, despite the fact that they were two peas in a pod. She was Chinese American decent, her skin a dark olive shade and toned from running track during the school year. Her hair was a thick mass of ebony strands, flattened from hours of straightening with a flatiron that morning. Her eyes a dark chocolate and slightly almond-shaped also followed the young clerk's every move.

That is what separated Jeanie from her two friends. They were laid out across the picnic-like-table, propped upon their elbows and openly ogling the man in the coffee shop. Jeanie sat behind them half turned so that she could watch the traffic and also keep an eye on the two girls. Just in case they decided to take their stalkerish tendencies to the next level, one could never tell when it might kick in.

Jeanie wasn't interested in Jim the same way they were. Sure he was a nice guy but that didn't exactly make him dating material in her book. Not that many boys did actually. To her that was all they ever were- boys.

Like all the Saturdays before this one since Jim had come back from WASU after the last Semester, they would hang around the coffee shop till his shift ended. Just so that either Amber or Lin could get an opportunity to start up a conversation with him.

It was always amusing to watch and see which one would get to the poor guy first. Or at least it had been the first couple of times. Now, Jeanie just wanted to find a nice shaded spot or maybe even go home to her air-conditioned house and chill out for the rest of her day off.

"I heard he broke up with that college girlfriend of his," Amber said a little wistfully.

"Really," Lin said dragging her eyes away from Jim long enough to see if Amber was joking with her or not.

Amber shrugged, neither admitting nor denying the rumor.

_Well this could get ugly_, Jeanie thought worriedly.

The last time Amber and Lin had really fought over a guy, Jeanie had found herself playing courier between the two of them for a month. Not the most desirable position she had found out the hard way. When those two fought,it could almost compete with WWII. There were always casualties involved. Jeanie had the misfortune of being stuck in the middle of their war. She had to narrowly duck flying insults and dodge epic cat fights a few times during their last disagreement which had been over some stupid boy too.

_And neither of them even liked him, _Jeanie had found out after the two had finally made up.

Jeanie leaned a little ways away from the pair as they started to eye each other competitively. This was why she avoided the male species altogether. It was just not worth the cat and mouse games she had witnessed Amber and Lin play it time and time again with each guy they liked.

"Well then I'll just ask him," Lin said turning her gaze back to the man in question.

"What," Amber spluttered, sitting up on the table to look at her friend incredulously. "You can't just ask him!"

"Why not," Lin said simply. "It worked with Mark."

Amber's mouth dropped open and for one humiliating moment she looked like a fish out of water trying to catch its breath. Jeanie snickered behind her hand just a little bit amused by her friend's startled expression. Amber shut her mouth with the audible click of her teeth, grinding her back molars in irritation. Then a sly look crossed her face and she relaxed back into her sprawled position.

"Because, I'm going to ask him first," was her cocky reply.

The scandalized look Lin sent Amber had Jeanie gritting her teeth to bite back her groan.

_Here we go again_, Jeanie thought, not the least bit happy about it. It looked like her weekend was going to be nothing but playing negotiator between the two of them.

What was that guy motto she had heard a few times, 'bros before hoes?'

Apparently that motto didn't work for girls or at least not with Amber and Lin. Sighing, Jeanie sipped from her coffee only to grimace at the nuke warm taste. It was only ever good when it was hot.

Lifting her head, she shaded her eyes with her hand to glimpse the sun that was overhead.

_Damn, all the clouds are gone. _

This meant that if she stayed here any longer under the direct sunlight, she was going to be a cherry tomato red for school on Monday. It was bad enough she was already feeling sticky and a bit gross from all the sweating she had done for the past hour but to be burnt red as well would be hell on Earth.

She really needed to talk her parents into letting her get a car. Or let her at least get a job so that she could buy one herself. Amber was the only one out of the three of them who owned a vehicle. Which meant Jeanie wasn't going anywhere unless she either;  
A. waited till Jim got off work and her two friends got their chance to talk to him. Or  
B. hitched a ride home with someone else but she didn't have any other friends.

She could have taken the bus but she didn't think to bring any extra cash with her. There was no way she was going to be able to pay for a cab either. She didn't even have a job yet thanks to her parents trying to smother her. Luckily she had convinced them to let her take driver's ED last year otherwise she wouldn't have a license to go along with her list of things she was still too '_young'_ for.

Her parent's excuse was that they weren't ready for her grow up yet. She was their _'baby girl' _after all. So she had no job and no car, at least until she was eighteen and out of high school. It made her feel at odds with her fellow classmates. Even Amber had a job working at the boutique just down the road and Lin worked for her mom filing paperwork.

Sighing out loud, she rolled her shoulder to try to work out the kink forming in her back. Jeanie was going to voice her woes to her friends but found they were still in a heated argument over who was going to talk to Jim first.

For the first time in her life, Jeanie wished she wasn't so nervous around new people. That she could make new friends as easily as Amber could. If she wasn't so shy around new people, she would go out and make some new friends, ones that might think of her before their latest crush. This was just getting ridiculous.

At that moment an engine revved nearby, stealing her attention away from her friends. Glancing out into the street she watched as a 1975 Camaro drove up on the other side of the street. Jeanie wasn't really a car person but she could appreciate a nice set of racing strips as much as the next guy. It was an old car she could tell, with a rusted yellow paint job and black racing strips down the middle. She watched as it maneuvered into a parallel parking spot across from the coffee shop in front of the First Federal Bank. Jeanie pursed her lips at the sight of the car thinking it looked familiar.

_Isn't that-, _Jeanie sat up suddenly, thinking that it could be her neighbor's son Max's car. She didn't really know him that well but she had seen him drive a car if not exactly the same it was very similar to the one she was now squinting at. It wasn't like there was too many of those beat up old clunkers driving around in her hometown anyway. This was a retirement community after all. _It has to be him, right?_

Maybe today wouldn't be such a bad day after all.

* * *

_Just a day, just an ordinary day_  
_Just trying to get by_  
_Just a boy, just an ordinary boy_  
_But he was looking to the sky_

**Ordinary Day, Vanessa Carlton**

* * *

Working at a coffee shop wasn't nearly as impressive as he thought it would be. While Jim Mackey loved coffee as much as the next guy, if not maybe a little more than most people, it wasn't all that appealing making it for everyone else. People were just so damn picky. Cappuccino, espresso, lattes, mocha, single, double, triple shot, flavor or no flavor. Over and over, drink after drink. The only bonus of working there was that he could drink all the coffee he wanted. Which wasn't necessarily a good thing he found out soon enough.

He had considered admitting himself into a Coffee Anonymous group, if there was such a thing. He'd do anything to try to slow, if not stop it all together, his addiction for the stuff. It was really affecting his ability to sleep at night which affected his ability to function during the day. This had him consuming even more coffee just to get through the day. It was a vicious cycle he had gotten himself into. Too much caffeine had his brain running 24/7 to the point that if he closed his eyes the room spun.

But he was a coffee addict and he thought what an ingenious idea it would be to work at a coffee shop. He was only on his second week being there and already he was bored out of his mind.

"You outta here," his boss Sandy asked him as his shift was coming to an end and hers was just beginning. She was just coming in and taking his place at the counter.

"Yea," he said on a sigh, his eyes briefly trailing to the three girls sitting at the table outside the coffee shop.

_Same shit, different day as the saying goes. _He didn't understand how high school girls could just sit there for hours waiting and watching. It reminded him of this one episode he watched on Animal Planet about Vultures and how they would circle their prey until it finally keeled over and died, before they would finally swoop in to feast on the remains.

It was really unnerving especially for a guy like Jim. He wasn't used to all this attention. Sure he had a girlfriend, liked having one too even though they were going through a rough patch in their relationship this past week. Girls were just high maintenance was all and he just couldn't keep up with their high demands.

"You know, some guys would be flattered by all this attention," Sandy said with a sly look his way when she caught him staring at the girl's waiting for him.

Jim only sighed again. Yea most guys would but he wasn't most guys. All through high school he'd been kind of dubbed a nerd and most girls had avoided him like the plague back then. Now he was in college and he'd started working out a little. He'd traded his glasses in for contacts and BAM! He had to beat them off with a stick now.

"See you tomorrow Sandy," he said instead of commenting on her remark.

He ignored her laugh at his expense and headed to the back of the coffee shop to get his things from the closet. He really needed to start thinking about what courses he was going to take in the fall instead of trying to find ways to avoid his accumulation of groupies. He was only home until September. Hopefully by then he'd have his head wrapped around on what he wanted to do with the rest of his life. He didn't have time to worry about girls let alone girls that could get him thrown into jail for statutory rape, just by looking at them.

_God, are they even sixteen_, he wondered.

Retrieving his bag, he grabbed his jacket but didn't bother to put it on. It was warm inside the coffee shop, even with the fans on high and he knew it would only be just as hot outside. Tucking his jacket over his arm, he slung his backpack over his right shoulder. Reluctantly he headed to the front of the shop. He glanced briefly out the window, getting a quick look at the three girls waiting for him.

_Well here goes nothing, _he thought.

He stepped outside and for a moment, breathed a sigh of relief when he wasn't instantly bombarded. Instead the two high school girls were arguing over something and hadn't realized he was off work yet.

_Amber and Lin_, he recalled their names. They were sweet girls and he liked them well enough but they should at least try to play hard to get. He was only going to suffocate from all of their attention.

Reaching up to run his hand over his hair, he realized he needed to get it cut soon. The black curls were starting to get long enough that he could run his fingers through them. His movement seemed to catch the two girl's attention much to his dismay. Their gaze narrowed in on him like two heat seeking missiles. He cringed a little but hid it with a quick smile and waved at them.

Amber was up off the table before Lin had even blinked. She'd hurtled herself at him and he drew back to brace himself for the impact.

"Hey Jim, are you off work," she inquired though it was obvious that he was.

"Uh- yea, hey Amber how's the uh-" he struggled with what it was she had mention just two days ago to him. "Uh- dance classes?" Relief swamped him when he finally remembered.

The flush to her cheeks, indicated she was thrilled that he remembered.

"Horrible," she said with a pout. Taking a lock of her blonde hair with her index finger, she twirled it in her distress. "They're only teaching the boring routines. Nothing fun and hip you know."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Jim said truthfully.

At that moment, Lin seemed to regain her composer and suddenly appeared at his side a lot faster than was deemed normal. "Jim," she said with a pout, her full bottom lip jutting out as she stared up at him.

If they weren't so young, Jim would have allowed himself to play out a little fantasy with that full bottom lip against his skin but he squashed the idea before it could surface. _Bad, bad, bad_, he reprimanded himself.

"Hey Lin," he said, trying to fight back the flush that crawled up his neck to fill out his cheeks.

You would think after two weeks of this, he'd be immune to their wiles. But it was hard to fight the heat that seared him when they clung at his arms and fought for his attention. Yea, maybe working at the coffee shop hadn't been the best idea he ever had.

Recalling their other friend, he looked back out to the table. Jeanie was no longer seated in her usual spot. Searching the street, he caught sight of the small brunette as she crossed the street near the cross walk.

Out of the three girls who came nearly every day to buy coffee, she never tried to fight for his attention much to his relief. If anything she was a sight for sore eyes when she came in with the other two. At least he could get a decent conversation out of her, one that didn't consist of make-up or clothing opinions. Which were things he didn't understand.

"Uh-" he started, having not heard Lin's question. "Where's uh Jeanie going?"

Both Amber and Lin turned to look at where he pointed.

Jeanie had crossed the street and was approaching an old rusted Camaro parked on the side in front of the First Federal Bank. Before he could ask them a second question, both Lin and Amber left him and raced after their friend.

Jim stared after them, a little confused by their odd behavior. Usually it took everything he had to pry the two girls from him, when they had him cornered. Once they zeroed in on him, it was hard to shake them off his tail. Looking over at Jeanie, he hummed beneath his breath as he realized he was free to leave without the two girls seeing him making a run for it. He'd have to thank her for this later, he realized. Maybe he could buy her a cup of coffee as a thank you. She seemed to like it just as much as he did.

Taking the opportunity given to him, Jim hurried down the sidewalk to where he'd parked his car in the lot behind the coffee shop. If he was lucky, they wouldn't notice his absence till well after he was gone.

* * *

**AN**: Chapter one to Let's Take A Drive. It's a cute little story about how I think Bee could have gotten his name, though I go beyond that with this story of course. There will be plenty of laughs, tears and heartache in the future of this story, I promise.

I don't own Transformers and I wish I owned Bee but I don't. Jeanie, Amber, Lin, Jim and Sandy are mine though. I love Jeanie, she reminds me of a friend I had in school, very naïve, with a very expressive nature.

Let me know what you think of this story, drop a review to let me know if I should continue writing it. :)

Inky out


	2. Chapter Two

Chapter two:  
_What Doesn't Kill You Makes You Stronger, Stronger_

He only started to panic when he noticed the human hurrying across the street to reach him. It was the first time in three months since he landed on this planet, that anyone had even acknowledged his presence. It was something he was good at, being able to infiltrate and gather information without anyone realizing his presence.

He had stumbled upon this backwater planet after tracking a strange Energon reading to this side of the solar system. It was the first planet he had come across in a long time that had held life on it. He and his fellow Autobots had been searching every planet and star looking for the Cube. The Cube had the energy to restore their home Cybertron, which had been destroyed by the war.

Though he was here alone on this planet, it would not be long before the others caught up to him. As soon as he located the Cube, he was to contact Prime. Though he had not found any information linking to the Cube, the reading of Engergon was curious enough for him to investigate this planet further. It was the reason why he had not left the planet yet, as he hoped to find the source of Energon and hopefully have some good news to give to his fellow Autobots.

Slowly he had traveled the surface of the planet, following the reading he was getting. It had taken him across the Continent known as North America to a city in the Northwest. So far he hadn't been able to find anything. What was surprising was that there were no signs of Decepticons. Surely if he was able to get a reading, then so should they. He would not be surprised if they were already here looking for the Cube.

He had just arrived in a city on the Northwest Peninsula that morning. On this side of the Mountains the land was rich in soil and trees, the weather not quite as warm as the Eastern side of Washington had been. He had been planning to head right on through and start south to search the Peninsula for any information.

Upon arriving, he had found himself growing weary and considered to search for a place to stay for the night to give himself time to recharge. That was how he had found himself pulling over onto the side of the road to get his bearings and plan on his next destination.

He soon realized what a mistake that had been.

He couldn't flee now though, the human was close enough to see that he held no driver. How could he detour her from approaching him? He had seen these humans strip a car down for parts within less than an hour. _But surely they wouldn't in such a public place, right?_ Why else would a human come towards him unless to see if he was of value? These humans relied on material things, as if they were a requirement to live. He had seen their huge houses and expensive cars, the luxuries humans thrived on. While the rich enjoyed their wealth, the poor stole from them and stripped them of what the rich owned.

He had tried to blend in the best he could, picking a late model car as his choice of disguise. It was in hope that the humans would find him of no value and leave him alone. So far it had worked and he had been able to travel without being noticed. Until now that is.

As she reached him, he noted the way her expression clouded over, her brows drawing together as she pursed her lips. To his dismay, he noted that two more humans were quickly joining the one that was staring at him from the driver side of the car.

This was not going according to plan.

* * *

_What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, stronger_  
_Just me, myself and I_  
_What doesn't kill you makes you stronger_  
_Stand a little taller_  
_Doesn't mean I'm lonely when I'm alone_

_**Stronger, Kelly Clarkson**_

* * *

Jeanie tilted her head slightly as she studied the car. _Okay, that's weird,_ she thought to herself. She walked around the car once, coming to a stop in front of it. Okay, she knew she had seen it park while she had been sitting at the table. _So where the hell did Max go to?_

She eyed the empty driver seat, her brows furrowing in concern. "Where'd he go?" she asked out loud.

He couldn't have gotten out of the car and disappeared into one of the buildings that fast. _Could he? _It had what, taken her maybe five minutes to leave the table and cross the street all together. She had only taken her eyes off the car for a split second.

"Jeanie what are you doing."

Torn from her thoughts, Jeanie looked over to see Amber crossing the street. Instead of using the crosswalk like Jeanie had done, she cut across in front a car and the driver honked at her angrily in retaliation. In reply, Amber flipped him off and hurried to stand next to Jeanie.

"Girl what the hell are you doing over here," Amber asked her, but seeing her friend's attention averted, followed her gaze to the yellow Camaro. Lin was close behind her, having had to wait till the car passed before she was able to cross the street. Expecting Jim to be tugged along, Jeanie was a little surprised to find the young man gone. He wasn't even at the coffee shop anymore.

_Huh, there's a shocker. _She thought an act of God would have to pry them off the poor man.

"Did any of you see where Max went?" Jeanie asked them, instead of commenting on Jim's absence.

"Max," Amber said the name like she didn't recognize it. She cocked her hip to the side, resting her hand there as she fixed Jeanie with a confused stare.

"You mean that dorky kid that lives next door to you," Lin asked her after a moment of silence. The look she sent Jeanie was one of annoyance. "We walked away from a fine piece of ass to talk to Max?"

Jeanie sighed out loud.

"I didn't ask you two to follow me," she stated the obvious. "But this is Max's car and I saw him pull up-"

Her eyes searched the sidewalk once more. She hadn't seen him get out of the car, she was sure of it. But it was obvious no one was inside it. Where he could have gone to was beyond her. She didn't think he'd be anywhere near this side of town. Maybe on the west side where Game Stop was located, since he was more into video games then shopping for clothes.

"Are you sure this is his car," Lin questioned. She was eyeing the car a little skeptically.

Jeanie only shrugged. "It looks like it," she replied.

Lin rolled her eyes and walked to the back of the car to check the license plate.

"Is Max from California by any chance?"

Jeanie looked over at her friend. "Uh no-" she said wondering why Lin would ask her that. Max had been her neighbor for her whole life, she didn't think he ever left the city let alone cross a state border.

"Then this isn't his car," Lin said simply and pointed to the back of the car.

Hurrying to her friend's side, Jeanie noted the license plate. In bright red lettering it scrawled out California.

_Damn_, Jeanie thought to herself.

"Oh no," Amber suddenly cried out.

Both Lin and Jeanie looked over at their friend quickly, only to find Amber staring back at the coffee shop.

"What's wrong," Jeanie asked her, thinking that something awful happened, by her friends expression.

"Jim's gone."

Looking to the sky, Jeanie asked herself. _Why do I even bother?_

"What?" Lin cried out and rushed to Amber's side. They were both searching up and down the sidewalk for him, but Jim was nowhere to be found.

"Doesn't he park behind the coffee shop?"

Jeanie was going to mention that that could be classified as stalking, but she figured it would fall on deaf ears. There was no arguing with the two of them once they set their eyes on a man.

"Yes he does," Lin confirmed with a nod of her head.

Before Jeanie could stop them, her two friends ditched her and raced across the street. She watched them with her eyes, following them as they disappeared behind the coffee shop. For one brief moment she felt sympathy.

"Poor Jim,"she mused to herself.

Sighing out loud, Jeanie found herself leaning back against the yellow Camaro without really thinking about it. It didn't even occur to her that the owner of the car might object to her using it as a prop to hold herself up. But she was standing in the shade now, the tall building of the bank behind her was shading her from the sun's glare and that was what mattered to her at the moment.

"This is getting old," she muttered out loud. She had been putting up with it for the past two years and it was about time she put her foot down. Enough was enough. "What is so cool about some guy anyway?"

Not that she would expect an answer. She asked Lin and Amber that question numerous times. And they would just smile that weird knowing smile, which wasn't even an answer to her question at all.

To her dismay, Jeanie's thoughts were interrupted by a strange whirling sound behind her. _**She's a Man-eater, Make you work hard, Make you spend hard, Make you want all, of her love, She's a Man-eater-**_

With a yelp, Jeanie sprang up off the car and whirled around. She stared in through the window, her heart hammering against her ribcage as if it wanted to break free from her chest.

_What the hell was that?_

Looking around quickly, she found that she was pretty much alone on the street. A few people were meandering around, but nowhere near to where she was standing outside the Camaro. Definitely not close enough to explain the music she had just heard.

_So where had Nelly Furtado's, 'Man-eater', come from?_

She could have sworn it had come from the Camaro's own speakers. With a weary hand, Jeanie touched the side of the car. Had she really felt the vibration of the blaring music against her backside?

"Oh boy," Jeanie whispered, her heart straining inside her chest.

She felt a little light headed and took a moment to just breathe. She bent at the waist, putting her head between her legs in hopes of stilling the merry-go-round that had become her vision. Closing her eyes, she took a few deep breaths to calm herself.

Looking back at the car, Jeanie drew up to her full height. She was finally losing it. Her Aunt Matilda had always said it ran in the family and that her Uncle Bill had been locked up years ago after finally succumbing to his delusions. And here she had thought her Aunt had been messing with her all these years.

There wasn't anyone in the car, her eyes told her that much. _Maybe it came from someone else's car_, she thought hopefully. It was possible right? Someone probably had their stereo on too loud and it just seemed like it had come from the Camaro. Jeanie latched onto that thought desperately.

_Yea that had to be it._

She just had to ignore the fact that it had sounded and felt like it came from the Camaro. She could do that.

Shaking her head, Jeanie walked around to the passenger side of the car, so that she was no longer blocking traffic, but in fact standing on the sidewalk. She glanced across the street, but Lin and Amber hadn't returned yet, which probably meant they had caught up to Jim. That or they had forgotten she was with them and they had left her behind. It wouldn't have been the first time.

"I can't wait until I get my own car," she said mostly to herself. "Then I wouldn't have to worry about being left behind anymore."

Or she could maybe turn the tables and leave them behind for a change. Now there was an appealing idea. But some things were just not meant to be and as such, she was stuck with finding her own way home once again.

With another quick look at the Camaro, Jeanie gave up on hoping that it could still be Max's. _Oh well_. Stuffing her hands into the pocket of her jeans, she kicked the tire of the car halfheartedly. As if to tell it, _you disappoint me._

Reluctantly, Jeanie turned away and headed down the sidewalk to where the crosswalk was. At least home was only about a mile and a half from here, or she just might have to disown her two friends. This wasn't the first and most definitely wouldn't be the last time they'd forgotten about her.

She had only made it the edge of the sidewalk, waiting for the light to change, when the hairs at the back of her neck seemed to stand up on end. She felt a chill crawl down her spine, something that should have been impossible under the heat of the sun's rays.

Jeanie turned just slightly to look behind her, wondering why she felt like she was being watched. Her eyes widened and her heart lodged itself in her throat. Was it just her, or did it look like the car had moved from where it had been parked? Eyeing it inconspicuously from the corner of her eye, she tried to gauge the distance between her and the car.

Truthfully, Jeanie couldn't really tell. But even at this distance she was still able to see there was no one inside the car. But she could have sworn the car had been completely covered by the shadows of the First Federal bank. Looking at it now, the front bumper of the car was exposed to the sunlight, making the bright yellow paint job of the car gleam.

_Maybe it's a trick of the lighting, _Jeanie tried to convince herself. Though the hairs on the back of her neck told her she wasn't quite buying it. _But what else could it be_, she tried to reason? That or she was losing her mind and she didn't like that possibility at all.

It was possible the light from the sun, the harsh heat and her slightly parched mouth was making her see things. From this angle, the car almost looked well cared for, like it didn't hold any rust stains or that the paint job was faded from years of being left out in the sun.

Jeanie wouldn't have minded having a car like this one. Though she didn't know a thing about cars, she liked the older frame it was built with and the well-used look its paint job expressed.

_It has to be the lighting._

That or she was officially losing her mind. Those were the only two ways to explain her hallucinations. _Cars don't drive themselves, they just don't,_ she argued with herself.

First, she had the audacity to consider that a car could have driven and parallel parked itself. Then she accused it of messing with her by turning its radio on just to scare her.

_Yea- _

_She_ was going crazy, because now Jeanie was starting to believe it was following her.

Keeping the car within her peripheral vision, Jeanie pressed the button on the pole next to her, to signal the lights that she wanted to cross now, not later. She waited till the lights changed and the crosswalk signaled it was her turn. Finally turning away from the car, Jeanie hurried across the street and reached the sidewalk on the other side in record time.

Again she looked back, half expecting to see the car coming after her. The movie '_Christine' _came to mind and she shook her head to clear the notion. The hairs on the back of her neck tingled and a chill that had nothing to do with standing in the shade of a tree had her crossing her arms over her chest.

"You're being paranoid, Jeanie, get it together," She tried to argue with herself. Only realizing too late that she was talking out loud and the couple who had joined her at the crosswalk had overheard her.

Flushing beat red Jeanie quickly pressed the button, trying to hide her face from the couple as they sent her curious looks. When the light changed again, Jeanie was hurrying to the other side before the couple had even realized it was time to cross. Now Jeanie stood just across the street from the coffee shop. Realizing she had taken her eyes off the car, she whipped around to look back at the side of the street the Bank sat on. Her heart nearly stopped beating in her chest. It was like the air had been knocked from her lungs as Jeanie struggled to breathe. Her eyes darted up and down the road but the car was gone.

_Don't panic_, her mind screeched at her.

That was easier said than done.

_Oh Jiminy Crickets._

Swallowing thickly, Jeanie searched the road again, her eyes straining to see in the far distance. How the hell had it disappeared like that without her knowing?

_Okay, just breathe_, Jeanie told herself over and over again. _Nothing to worry about, it's gone, that just means the owner of the car drove off_. It did not mean the car was following her.

Forcing herself to turn away from the busy street, Jeanie looked ahead of her instead. There was a parking lot with some public restrooms just down a ways and she headed straight for it. If she cut through the parking lot, it would shave off some of the distance to get to her house and safely in her bed where she wanted nothing more than to be in right now. Her neighborhood was about a half a mile from where she stood, but it was nearly two if she stuck to the streets to get there.

Passing a café, Jeanie turned into the public parking lot and headed to the back. There was a chain link fence that separated some houses from the lot. A while back, someone had cut some of the links creating an opening just big enough for someone her size to squeeze through. This was the same path she took to get to the coffee shop when she couldn't bum a ride from her parents or her friends.

Jeanie took this route today ducking through the gap and stepping out into someone's backyard. Her shoes crunched along the dry grass and scattered leaves as she made her way to the street. From here, she would have to stick to the road. Each individual house was fenced in and guard dogs just beyond each gate, kept her from taking anymore shortcuts. Crossing her arms over her chest, she kicked a pebble out of the way as she followed the sidewalk to another four way stop. Hopping down, she crossed as she was not worried about any cars on these roads.

This part of town was usually quiet. The neighborhood was very quaint, even with it just being on the other side of a shopping district and the main road that ran all the way through town. But it was a nice neighborhood, not very many people driving around these streets, unless it was the owners of the homes she walked passed.

Turning, Jeanie looked both ways, before she crossed another street and headed east. Four more blocks and she would be in her own neighborhood. She hadn't walked much further when a voice interrupted her thoughts.

"Hey babe."

Jeanie stilled at the voice, feeling her heart leap to her throat again. Only this time it wasn't because she was worried Christine had become an old 1975 black and yellow Camaro, hell bent on stalking her. No it was because Jake Sullivan was leaning up against a car parked on the side of the street. She had been so set on getting home that she hadn't realized he was standing there.

Wearily, she turned her gaze over to him. It wasn't that she disliked Jake, it was just the guy was a punk who liked to bully people when he was with his friends. He always had to impress his motley crew of misfits. To her chagrin Mikey, one of Jake's friends came running out of the house. Of course she would be passing Mikey's house and run into the pair, today of all days.

Gritting her teeth, Jeanie nodded once in Jake's direction and tried to continue on. At one time or another when they were just kids, she had been friends with Jake. Then they'd gotten to that age, when reputation meant everything. Or at least it had to Jake and their friendship just faded away. Didn't matter all those times she'd held his hand after his father had beat him and his mother ignored him.

"Hey," Jake called after her, his voice indicating he was annoyed that she was just going to ignore him. He pushed himself from the car. "Where do you think you're going to?"

"Home," Jeanie said tightlipped.

She came to a stop when Jake stepped in front of her path. Before she could try to go around him or try and head in the other direction, Mikey followed his move and stepped up behind her. She found herself boxed in by the pair in the middle of the street.

Jeanie tried to ignore the vigorous beat of her heart within her chest and the rush of blood that made her skin flush. She tried to not let on how much he intimidated her. She was barely 5'6 and looked petite to his larger frame. Jake was well over 6ft and he towered over her. She lifted her chin, giving him the best steady glare she could muster.

"What," she asked him, trying to sound braver than she felt. To her relief her voice didn't tremble.

When Jake grabbed her arm, Jeanie flinched having not expected it. Usually, if their paths crossed he would just call her a name and leave her alone. Which worked fine for her, she'd been called many names by him over the past several years, so his words no longer bothered her anymore.

But the feel of his hand on her arm was like a cold splash of water to her face and it had the same effect on her. Jolting from her thoughts, she was turned around to face him. He looked annoyed with his face slightly pinched as he glowered down at her.

"-I'm talking to you."

Jeanie only caught half of what he said. Instead her eyes had focused on the hold he had on her arm. His grip was tight, tight enough for it to actually hurt.

"Let go of me," Jeanie demanded suddenly, her eyes jumping up to look at him now.

She knew Jake could have a temper, it something he got from his dad but he'd never raised a hand to her. Sure he was quick to fight a guy when they pissed him off but he never hurt a woman, at least from what she seen and heard at school. But that didn't mean that if he was pressed hard enough that he wouldn't. She'd never seen him get that mad but this was the first time he'd tried to touch her in nearly ten years. It kind of frightened her.

"Make me," Jake shot back and behind him Mikey snickered. "I just want to talk to you babe, that's all," Jake continued ignoring his friend.

"Well I don't want to talk to you," Jeanie snapped. She glared at him, trying to hide the weariness she felt.

He raised his other hand as if to strike her and Jeanie actually flinched back from him afraid. The look on his face was unnerving. He looked pissed and maybe a little sad. Then he seemed to realize what he was doing, since his hand fisted and he dropped it to his side. Finally, he let her go.

In the distance they could hear a police siren as it drew closer to them. The noise dragged Jake out of his stupor and he shook his head as if to clear it.

"Jake, the cops," Mikey hissed. He was waving his hand for Jake to follow him. Instead of listening to his friend, Jake stared at her for a long moment until the siren grew close enough that it was just a block away from where they were standing.

"Whatever," he muttered and got into the car he had been leaning on earlier.

As the engine started, Jake stuck his head out the window to look at her one more time. It seemed like he was going to say something to her but then he changed his mind. He pulled back into the car before they sped off, leaving her alone on the side of the road.

Unconsciously, Jeanie touched her arm in the spot where Jake had gripped her. The skin there was tender under the sleeve of her shirt. The Police siren faded away and she was grateful that Jake had actually believed the cops were coming this way. Who knows what he would have done had he not gotten spooked.

"Jerk," she muttered beneath her breath.

Jeanie wished not for the first time that things had never changed between them. That his abusive parents hadn't changed him mentally and made him into the person he was today. He had changed from all of the physical and mental abuse he had endured as a kid growing up. By the fifth grade he had no longer resembled the sweet boy who had befriended her when she and her family moved into the neighborhood. She was home schooled while he had gone to public school, but they used to hang out all the time when they were younger.

But those days were over.

From behind her, an engine revved high as if someone had pressed hard on the gas pedal while in park. Her first thoughts were to get back up onto the sidewalk to get out of the way of traffic, especially if it was Jake coming back around to scare her. She wouldn't put it pass him these days. But then she heard that familiar sound again and it wasn't until she heard it now, that she realized she'd heard it before.

The only way she could describe it was kind of like when her younger brother got a hold of her old radio she kept in the bathroom. He had played with the radio dial spinning through the channels back and forth and annoying the hell out of her with it. It was just a warble of noise, until it stopped on a certain station.

Or in this case the song they wanted to play.

_**Bad boys bad boy, whatcha gonna do, whatcha gonna do, when they come for you. Bad boys- **_Will Smith and Martin Lawrence horrid rendition of the song was what greeted her ears. Their off tune version of the song from 'Bad Boys One' was cut off mid chorus and she knew it was coming from directly behind her. Briefly, Jeanie closed her eyes, trying to muster up any amount of courage she might have.

Slowly, she pivoted on her heels and her eyes opened to take in the car behind her. She really had been hoping to see Jake Sullivan glaring at her through the windshield of Mikey's car. But of course her luck was not with her today.

_Oh god._

Jeanie would have peed her pants, if what little dignity she had left didn't squelch that urge. The engine of the black and yellow Camaro revved and instinctively, her hands went up defensively.

"Wait-wait" Jeanie shouted, not sure why she was shouting. But the part of her that was usually pretty sensible, even during bizarre situations was finally starting to panic right along with the rest of her. "Look I'm sorry I leaned against your car and kicked your tire-" She knew she was rambling, but it was the only thing she could think of to try and calm what could only possibly be some stalkerish road rage fanatic, and she was desperate to appease the person.

"I'll pay for any damages I did, I'm-" at this point, Jeanie hesitated. The glare of the sun behind her was reflecting off the windshield and made it hard for her to see inside. Squinting while raising her hand to shield her eyes, Jeanie realized that there was no one inside the car. Let alone a driver. A new type of fear settled over her, squeezing her heart in her chest painfully.

"Oh god," Jeanie whispered. "I've completely lost my mind."

Jeanie clutched at her head then, afraid it had finally betrayed her. She was going to be just like Uncle Bill, locked up with only four padded walls and a straightjacket for company. The paranoia of being stalked by a car was just the beginning. Now she was talking to it. Or in this case, she was begging it to not kill her.

The sound came again, quick, before the radio sang out. _**"You're a crazy bitch, you look so good I'm on top of it-,"**_

Jeanie yelped, startled from her induced hysteria and looked wildly at the car. _What the hell-_

"D-did you just call me a bitch," Jeanie accused it. Then bit her tongue when she caught herself talking back to the car. She wasn't sure if she should be more worried about a car talking to her or that she was talking back to it. _Maybe both?_

The car made that warbled noise again and it almost sounded like laughter. If her eyes could have gotten any wider, they would have resembled the size of golf balls. She stared at the car, half expecting it to attack her in the same manner the car 'Christine' had killed it's owners. But instead the car drove forward, revving high and then idling low. The door popped open on its own violation.

A familiar voice, which sounded hauntingly like Bruce Willis' voice, told her to "_**Get in the car kid**_."

Jeanie stared into the interior of the car. _Yea right_, she thought comically. She had seen enough Law and Order and CSI reruns to know not to get into a car with a stranger. She was sure that included cars she didn't know either.

"Why," Jeanie asked it, trying to push away the notion that she really was having this conversation. She should just run to the nearest house and call the police. _Oh yea, there's an idea,_ Jeanie thought sarcastically. _And while you're at it, just grab one of Uncle Bill's spare straightjackets and tie yourself up to save them from having to bring their own._

"_**Come with me if you want to live," **_Arnold Schwarzenegger's monotone voice answered her.

"What," Jeanie whispered. She did not miss the idle threat from the voice. But then again, the actor had been playing a robot from the future. The whole outlook of the Terminator was threatening. Again the car laughed at her expense and she realized it had been messing with her.

"Not funny," Jeanie snapped as she pursed her lips together. She fumed for a moment, her temper getting the best of her. She did not like being made fun of by a car.

"_**I can't wait until I get my own car-"**_

Jeanie started at the sound of her own voice. So far the car had talked to her from movies or music clips and it was a unnerving, but not nearly as much as hearing her own words thrown back at her.

"Wait a minute," she started to say and the car made a noise that sounded impatient. "You want to be my car?"

Jeanie had heard of a driver picking out its car, but she never she heard of a car picking out its driver. Then again if she was in its shoes, or in this case, _tires_, she would be a little picky about whom she'd pick to be her driver.

The car honked at her and made another sound of impatience, its engine rumbling low at her. _It won't wait around forever_, she thought to herself. She gave the car another skeptical look. Her whole life she had been sheltered by her parents. Never had she taken such a bold step in her life. Against her better judgment, Jeanie found herself sliding into the driver seat, feeling the warmth of the old worn seat as she sank into it. The door shut closing her in.

"What-what do you want from me," she asked the car. She wasn't sure she really wanted to know, now that she had gone against her better judgment.

There was a long pause before Rihanna sang, _**Just shut up and drive, drive, drive. **_Before Jeanie could do just that though, the gas pedal hit the floorboard. The car lurched forward, speeding off in a squeal of tires and black exhaust coming from the tail pipe.

Jeanie cried out, grabbing the oh-shit handle as the car tore down the road, barely breaking for the four-way stop and taking a sharp turn. She slid sideways in her seat, hitting the driver side door, when it belatedly occurred to her that she should strap on her seatbelt. Jeanie had barely gotten it fastened when the car crested over a hill. They were leaving her neighborhood behind as they seemed to gain some air, before all four tires touched back down onto the road.

Her scream was loud enough to startle the grazing cows in the field they flew passed.

* * *

AN: Okay I'll admit writing in a car's POV that can only talk through a Radio/Internet/Satellite is really tough. I've had to hunt and scrounge around through my old CD collection for songs that would fit. Hopefully I did okay. This story is mainly comedy, but there will be some drama, romance and action thrown in the loop as well. Its a cute little story that I've had a lot of fun writing. I hope you guys like it.

I have to say no reviews was a little disheartening, but oh well. I wrote this story for me, to help me improve my writing. I've come a long way from writing cheasy Sailor Moon crossover stories and I can only get better in my oppinion.

Let me know what you think, love/like/hate it. I'll accept any critisim thrown my way :)

Inky out


	3. Chapter Three

Chapter three:  
_Shout, Shout Let It All Out_

A shrill whine escaped from the engine and into the speakers. The noise was loud enough to nearly pierce her eardrums. Jeanie cried out as her hands lifted to cover her ears.

"What was that sound," she shouted.

Jeanie sent a panicked look to the dashboard, terrified that the car might be falling apart. She wasn't sure where she should direct her question to but decided that talking to the dashboard was a good a place as any. It wasn't like the thing had a face for her to associate with. She found herself staring at the radio as the dial switched between stations

"_**You-Scream-Like a Girl," **_the radio played back to her a collection of voices she was unable to recognize. _**"Too-Loud."**_

"Well then slow the hell down," Jeanie snapped in return while her face flushed with embarrassment.

Jeanie dropped her hands away from her ears now that the weird alien sound had stopped. It was the only way she could describe it because saying it sounded similar like a scream, was just too much for her to handle at this moment in time. She was still grappling with the fact that the car was alive somehow.

Her eyes darted to the speedometer on the dashboard as the engine revved even higher and the gas pedal was pressed further to the floorboards. Was it her fault that she had an issue with going over sixty miles an hour around a curvy road?

_The speed limit was thirty, dammit!_

"_**Girls just want to have fun," **_the radio sang.

"Yes, but I don't want to die in the process-" Jeanie shouted but caught herself off as she spotted something in the middle of their lane. "Deer!"

Jeanie shrieked, her hands going up over her head preparing for the impact. But despite the deception of its age and exterior, the car swerved around the animal and avoided it entirely. The car whined again and the lights on the dashboard flickered on and off thanks to her shrill scream. When the crash didn't come, Jeanie cracked open an eye and looked around them. They were still speeding down the long country road at a break neck pace, but they were still in one piece.

_Oh Jesus._

"Sorry," Jeanie muttered. She uncurled herself from the fetal position she had balled herself up into at the sight of the deer. She didn't think they would've had enough time to avoid it.

Time passed slowly as the car followed the country road. It maneuvered around any obstacles that might slow down its speed with dexterity that belied its outer appearance. Jeanie desperately tried to steady her breathing and prayed that her heart wouldn't give out on her. It would help if the car would slow down just the tiniest bit but it seemed to want to break every speed limit they came across.

"Just what the heck are you," Jeanie asked the car suddenly. She wanted to distract herself from the dangerous situation she had put herself in. She looked around the interior, unsure of herself now. What had she been thinking just climbing into the Camaro like that? For all she knew the car was possessed by some evil spirit and was hell bent on taking her soul to hell with it.

"Are-are you like a demon, or- or a ghost or something," Jeanie asked tentatively.

"_**No," **_Casper the friendly ghost mocked her.

Again Jeanie glowered at the dashboard not amused by its sense of humor. _Dammit she was scared out of her mind and it was making fun of her! _She drummed her fingers on the side of the door, trying to rein in her anger. The car shuddered beneath her suddenly, startling her from her raging thoughts. Freezing, Jeanie held her breath as she stared worriedly at the steering wheel.

"What was that," Jeanie asked the car.

_God please don't let the car be falling apart_, she begged.

She could not handle that right now. It had yet to slow down. If anything it had gained speed on the straight stretch of road they were now on. Jeanie really wasn't surprised that there was no response to her question. It had yet to answer any of her questions so far. Why should it start now?

Jeanie stared at the steering wheel again as it turned on its own, directing the car around another curve. Despite the speed they were driving at the ride was going rather smoothly. The shocks absorbed any and all potholes or blemishes on the old road. For an old car the thing sure made it seem like it was more high tech than it should be. Not even her parent's new Durango ran this smooth on old asphalt.

"Look, obviously you are quite capable of driving yourself," Jeanie said to the dashboard. When the car didn't comment, she purged on with the point she was trying to make. "What exactly do you need me for?"

Jeanie just wanted to go home and pretend none of this had ever happened. She wanted to forget that a car had sort of kidnapped her and she had gone against everything her parents had drilled into her head about being leery of strangers. She wanted to forget that her two friends had ditched her once again for another boy. Which meant she really didn't have any friends, right? Because what kind of person did that to their friend? Not someone you would want to be friends with, right?

Jeanie also wanted to forget that the only friend she ever really had growing up scared her now. Because his temper rivaled that of his dad's and he seemed to enjoy torturing her with cruel words and empty threats.

"I just want to go home," she burst out and was angry that her voice trembled. She was not going to cry.

_I don't cry, damn it!_

Jeanie closed her eyes tightly, fighting back the sting of tears as her eyes burned from the strain. She felt the gears shift down and the vibration of the seat she sat in lesson to a comfortable hum. When she opened her eyes again, she was startled to find that the car had slowed down its speed. In fact as she looked at the speedometer, the car was suddenly following the speed limit instead of going nearly forty over it.

"Thank you," Jeanie said on a sigh, feeling her heart slow its irregular fast paced beat. The relief was nearly crushing as she sagged back into the bucket seat. Reining in her emotions, Jeanie managed to gain some control over them. Reaching up with a shaky hand she wiped away a stray tear that had managed to fall free.

She felt drained, physically and emotionally. The steady hum of the engine and the dull roar of the wheels on the old country road lulled her into a false sense of security. Jeanie struggled to keep her eyes open but it was a losing battle. The cool air from the fan kept her comfortable without making her feel chilled, despite the heat outside the car.

Her eyes fell close a final time and then blessed darkness claimed her.

* * *

Shout, shout, let it all out  
These are the things I can do without  
Come on, I'm talking to you, come on

* * *

He didn't really know what he was doing. The moment the human had approached him he had begun to panic and hadn't been thinking straight since. He had sat in silence, listening to her speak with the two other females she was with. He had hoped she would lose interest in him and leave. But she hadn't.

After the two left he had hoped she would follow. He couldn't let himself be discovered, he knew how easily humans could panic over the slightest provocation. He waited, expecting her to leave but then she had done the last thing he expected her to do. She touched him.

He had never had a human touch him before and now with her riding inside him, he could not get over the alien feel of it. It had been awkward when she had used him as something to rest against earlier. It sort of explained why he had panicked like he had. He was an Autobot, a hardened soldier of war! And he had buckled under the pressure of a simple female human leaning against his metal frame.

Now look where it had gotten him, harboring a human when he should have just let her walk away. He had planned to leave right then too but the human had kept watching him. Again he panicked thinking she knew he wasn't just a simple car and that she might alert others to his presence.

So he followed her. Stealth was his specialty, but around her he felt himself reduced to a simple sparkling. He had never messed up a mission so horribly in all his life. Today had been one mistake after another and he was beginning to doubt his abilities. A soft snore from the front seat drew his attention from his inner thoughts to the human girl.

Realizing that the human had fallen asleep, he fiddled with the radio dial turning on some soft music hoping she would sleep for a while. From the moment she stumbled upon his existence she had been a nuisance. He had felt obligated to intervene when another human had tried to assault her. He had hoped once the human male had left, he would have been able to sneak away without her realizing he was there. By accident, he had pressed too hard on the gas and alerted her to his presence. If she hadn't been aware of what he was yet, the moment he had approached her in the neighborhood had squelched that. He had been able to smell the fear coming off of her in waves when she turned to face him.

Suddenly the human moaned in her sleep and he lowered the volume of the radio. He listened intently wondering if she was waking already. He had just gotten used to the silence, was enjoying it in fact. Besides her insistent questioning, her shrill screams were equivalent to the sound of metal scraping against metal. It was enough to cause his spark to stutter.

"Slow down," the girl murmured in her sleep.

He sighed out loud wondering how much slower he had to go to placate her. He was built for speed and at the rate they were going he could crawl faster than at what speed they were driving at at the moment.

Not that he had a destination in mind to take her. His leader forbade him from harming any life forms he came across in his search for the Cube. He had grabbed the human in hopes of convincing her somehow to keep his secret quiet. But he was unsure how to go about asking it. So far he had done everything but set her at ease and had only scared her even more than she already had been, since he had announced his presence to her.

Unless, her managing to fall asleep now indicated that she felt at ease with him? Maybe she did trust him? He doubted it as he listened to her shift around in her sleep restlessly.

"-Just want to be friends-" she mumbled beneath her breath.

Her words perked his interest and he intently listened to her as he recorded her words. _Friends_, the word was foreign to him. He waited hoping to hear her say more.

"_**-I hear the secrets that you keep, when you are talking in your sleep-" **_he played over the radio, unbeknownst to the human who was still sleeping. _**"-When I hold you in my arms at night, don't you know you're sleeping in a spotlight, and all your dreams you keep inside, you're telling me all the secrets you can't keep inside."**_

He listened intently, wondering if she would say more but the human remained silent. Did she really wish to be friends? He quickly looked up the meaning of the word and found its Wikipedia meaning. _Comrades_. _Someone who knows and likes another person very well._ Of course he had comrades in arms. During a war it was hard to build friendships when one could easily lose their spark on the battlefield.

His spark warmed at the human's words.

He felt the human slide down in the seat, her body shifting to the left. When her side connected against the driver side door, she gasped and her eyes flew open.

"Owe," Jeanie winced while jerking awake from her dream. She gently gripped her arm as if by holding it she could stop the throbbing ache there. Lifting her sleeve, she peered at her arm curiously wondering why it hurt so badly. To her surprise she found the beginning signs of a bruise forming there. _Now where did I get that_, she wondered.

"_**You okay," **_an unfamiliar voice asked her.

Looking up from the bruise that strangely appeared like a handprint on her forearm and she eyed the dashboard.

"Oh," Jeanie whispered the word. She recalled her last encounter with Jake now. Sighing out loud she slid her sleeve back down. "Yea I'm fine," she answered the car.

"_**You're injured."**_

Jeanie frowned at the accusation and turned her attention out the window to the scenery outside it. She remained quiet, refusing to bring up what had happened with Jake earlier. She didn't really want to talk about it especially with a possessed car. Not even her parents really knew what had happened between her and Jake.

"Can you just turn on some music," she asked the car.

The radio warbled in reply and a southern twang began to play. Jeanie lifted a brow at the dashboard. _Seriously_, she thought incredulously.

"Okay, for one, do I look like I listen to country," Jeanie asked the car out loud. Before it could reply though, she added. "And two- seriously, you're a talking car for crying out loud and you pick Billy Gilman's 'One Voice'-really?"

The song ended in a warble of noise as the radio dial spun trying to find another station. _Thank god_, Jeanie thought with her head falling back against the headrest.

Suddenly 'The End' by Linkin Park came in through the speakers.

"Much better," Jeanie said on a relaxed sigh. She turned her head to peer out the window again and watched the scenery fly pass them.

Jeanie listened to the song for a while, just letting the loud music and screaming voices wash away the fear and pain. After it ended another song started. She knew the song but couldn't remember who sang it.

"This time, I'm let it all come out, this time I'm a stand up and shout, I'm going to do things my way-" she did her best singing beneath her breath with the song.

As the song wound down, Jeanie turned away from the window to look at the dashboard. Something had occurred to her after she had woken up from her short nap. The memory of her encounter with Jake was suddenly fresh in her mind and thanks to the car things hadn't gotten too far out of hand.

"Look, I-" Jeanie started to explain and the radio's volume turned down low so that it could hear her. Her hand fisted at her side on the seat. "Thanks for what you did, for uh- intercepting with Jake."

Jeanie looked away from the dashboard, her eyes falling to look at where her hand was clenched tightly into a fist. "Things probably would have gotten pretty bad if you hadn't shown up," she admitted. She hated to think that Jake would have gone too far but the mark on her arm told her he easily could have.

"_**Well shucks little lady-it was nothing-" **_

Biting her bottom lip, Jeanie tried to hide its slight tremble. Reaching out, she patted the dashboard hoping to pass on her gratitude to the car the best she could. The car shuddered under the touch and she stilled wonder what was happening.

"_**That tickles,"**_ the radio spoke in a child's voice and she blinked owlishly at the dashboard.

"Seriously," Jeanie asked it in turn.

She looked down at the floor then the seats, wondering just how ticklish it could be. _Hmm_, she considered finding out just she brushed her fingertip over the surface of the passenger seat. The car shuddered again and a whine of the engine had her snickering in her seat. Oh this was too good.

"Wow, you really are ticklish."

Jeanie couldn't have suppressed the smile that broke across her face if she tried. It was just too funny that she was riding in a car that was actually ticklish. The radio made that warbling sound she was getting used to already. The song that came over the speakers though was enough to make her hair stand straight up on end and she cringed.

"Ehgad," she shouted, her hands going up to cover her ears. The volume was deafening.

The best way to describe the noise would be a string of the most annoying songs she had ever the misfortune of listening to. The first song was a real high pitch voice, high on helium singing a lot of Do Dos. If she wasn't mistaken it was called the 'Hamster Song' or some such nonsense. Suddenly the horrid voice ended only to pick up with a new voice. _**"Ooh E ooo ooo ah ah ting tang wahla wahla bing bang!"**_

Cringing, Jeanie tried to curl up into herself in the driver seat. "Please make it stop!"

The whole car was vibrating from the Witch Doctor song blaring in through the speakers. Next thing she knew, Waylin Jennings started twanging to her in his southern drawl getting on her last nerve. _**"It was all- I could do- to keep from crying- sometimes it seems so useless to remain, but you don't have to call me darlin- dar..lin-"**_

"Oh. My. God. Please. Make. It. Stop," Jeanie pleaded wanting more than anything for the torture to end. "I'm sorry, please I'm sorry for tickling you, I won't do it again, I swear!"

Thankfully the music cut off mid-twang, leaving her in a relative comfortable silence. "Oh thank you god," Jeanie praised, never being so happy in her life at the absence of sound.

* * *

**AN: Here is Chapter three, I hope you like it :) Let me know how I am doing on Bee as this is my first time writing a car that can only speak through a radio. .**

**Love/like/Hate it, let me know. Reviews feed the writing soul.**

**I dont own Bee, but Jeanie is mine as well as her parents and Jake. :)**

**Inky out**


	4. Chapter Four

Chapter four:  
_I have Become Comfortably Numb_

Somehow without her realizing it the Camaro had doubled back and was heading back to the city. The acres of pastures and old farmland soon melded in with more modern type homes and corner convenient stores.

They passed a coffee shop a couple of convenient stores before they finally reached the city limits. Perking up in her seat Jeanie looked at their surroundings for something familiar. The past few minutes had been relatively silent, the car playing some random tunes on the radio. If it weren't for the fact that she wasn't steering the car she could have imagined it was just another normal drive.

_Yea right._

They crested over that old familiar hill but at a much more leisurely pace. Had it really been an hour since they jumped the hill going about fifty miles an hour? Jeanie shook her head, wanting to clear the memory from her mind. Instead, Jeanie directed her attention to the houses they were passing.

They were back in her neighborhood again. Over the radio, she heard the song _'Sweet Home Alabama' _playing softly and she realized the car was going to take her home.

"W-wait," Jeanie stammered, feeling a small sense of dread wiggle its way into her chest. "Can you just pullover here please?"

To her relief the Camaro pulled over to the side of the road, not all that far off from where it had picked her up. Reaching for the door, she was only slightly startled by the sound it made over the speakers. She blinked owlishly at the dashboard.

_That almost sounded like crying_, she thought to herself but tried to not dwell on it too much. Why the car would be upset with her leaving was beyond her. Hell was it even possible for a car to have feelings?

_Okay I am not going to think about this right now_, Jeanie argued with herself.

"So- um, thank you for the drive," She said while biting the insides of her cheeks. "It was fun."

Jeanie forced the door open and stepped out of the vehicle. Hesitating, she looked down into the interior of the car for a moment before shutting the door gently.

"So uh- I'll see you around," she said with a small smile. "And you know, maybe we could go for another drive sometime-"

She waved and then felt stupid for doing so. It wasn't like it could see her right? Turning away, she had only taken a few steps when something occurred to her.

Pivoting on her heels, she pointed at the Camaro and gave it her sternest look. "But only if you promise to go the speed limit though- got it."

The car made a noise that sounded a lot like laughter. She glared in return, placing her hands on her hips to show she meant business. She tried not to think how ridiculous she must look at that moment. _I'm arguing with a car for crying out loud!_

"I mean it and no country music!" Jeanie said trying to keep the smile that was struggling to pull at the corner of her lips, hidden. In the end she lost and with a small shake of her head turned away from the car.

The walk home was uneventful thank goodness! She made it home without any more detours or delays. The whole way there Jeanie had kept an eye out for Jake and for the stalking yellow Camaro. Neither one appeared within her peripheral vision.

Jeanie wasn't exactly sure why she didn't want the car to know where she lived. It might have to do with not wanting anymore surprises anytime soon. She wasn't sure how many more her heart could take. It wasn't like she expected to see the Camaro again. She was sure the car had other people to terrorize. She just hoped it would find a new location to do it in and not in her city. That would just be best for her sanity at the moment.

Jeanie loosened the knot the sleeves of her jacket had been tied into at her waist. Unlocking the front door with her spare key she walked inside to a nice air-conditioned home. She tossed her coat into the closet without much care. She felt utterly drained and wondered how she had managed to make it to her room without collapsing. It was while standing in the cool temperature of her bedroom that she felt the tall tale signs of shock settling into her bones. It chilled her blood, causing her skin to grow clammy and her teeth to chatter. She had been better off out in the heat.

Jeanie wasn't aware of moving. Just that she left her room and walked to the bathroom across the hall. She locked the door behind her. Next thing she knew she was naked and sinking into the hot confines of the bathwater she must have drawn. She didn't remember starting the bath but there it was. Slinking low into its near boiling temp, she only stopped when the water reached her chin.

While sitting there she wasn't aware of time passing. Only that the water had grown cold after a while as she stared at the wall in front of her. Blinking slowly, Jeanie felt herself reluctantly return to the present. The first thing she felt was the dull ache of her arm where Jake had bruised her skin.

The next thing Jeanie noticed was that her body felt like she'd submerged herself into a bathtub full of ice cubes. Her body was shivering from the cooling temperatures but she didn't get out right away. Instead she sat there a little while longer thinking over the day's events.

_I was really kidnapped by a freaking car_, Jeanie thought to herself.

"Kidnapped," Jeanie repeated the word out loud as if that alone could really drive the insanity of the situation home.

The Camaro hadn't held her at gunpoint or anything drastic like that. So technically she had gotten into the car willingly. She hadn't exactly gotten the impression it was going to harm her but hell it was a car that could communicate and drive itself, dammit! It was a threat to her state of mind.

Jeanie recalled it playing back her voice to answer one of her questions. _What if it had only wanted to just go for a drive, _she wondered. Maybe it had sensed that she wanted to get the hell out of dodge and thought she would be up for a thrill ride?

Groaning, Jeanie sank deeper into the water submerging her head under its murky depths. She scowled, her eyes opening under the water to look at the distorted ceiling above her. Bubbles escaped past her lips but she remained where she was.

_What an idiot_, she growled at herself.

Here she had been given a chance of a lifetime and what had she done.

"Scream like a girl," she gurgled beneath the water.

Sitting up in the tub suddenly, Jeanie gasped for air. She sat there spluttering, cursing herself for being such an idiot. Rubbing at her eyes she tried to rid herself of the slight sting the water had caused her.

With a small sigh, Jeanie stood and reached for a towel. She depressed the drain lever with her foot and slowly climbed out of the tub. With the towel in hand she quickly wiped at her face and hair first before patting down the rest of her body.

Feeling a little bit more clear-headed, Jeanie wrapped the towel securely around her body and retrieved her dirty clothes from the pile she'd ditched them in. Taking them with her she went back to her room and tossed them into her hamper.

Since she wasn't planning on going back out to town she dressed lightly in a pair of old plaid pajama pants and a plain white t-shirt. Heading to her desk that housed her laptop she sat down in her swivel chair. Jeanie leaned back in the seat a bit, thinking to herself before turning her computer on.

While the laptop hummed to life she absently drummed her fingers along the surface of her desk as she waited. It only took a few minutes for the desktop to load up. Clicking on the internet icon she waited as the Google homepage appeared on her screen.

She loved having Wi-Fi. It allowed her to go anywhere in the house and outside it even to get internet access. If her young brother was giving her a hard time she could even climb out onto the roof of their house and play on the internet. He wouldn't follow her out there not with his fear of heights.

Jeanie typed in 'possessed cars,' which brought up a few hundred hits all ranging from a movie called 'The Car,' to repossessing vehicles.

Wrinkling her nose in disappointment, Jeanie looked at a few websites that talked about ghosts. It was all pretty dead end material that had her trying a different search. She tried a few other options such as 'Artificial Intelligence' and 'Smart Cars.' In the end she had no luck with either search.

Each search seemed more bizarre and out there with each stretch of the imagination. Even 'Alien Car' search turned out to be a bust but she did get to see some freaking cool pictures of cars transformed into the weirdest things. Like one's hood was twisted into a dragon's head.

"Wow," Jeanie mused out loud her brows rising at the strange décor, though kind of cool in a weird way.

Suddenly, -_**You know it don't stop, hell yea, drink it up drink-drink it up, sober cause around me they be acting like they drunk- **_started playing in the silence of her room making her jump in her seat. Looking around she half expected it to be coming from her stereo that was suddenly possessed.

Instead Jeanie found that it was coming from her hamper. Getting to her feet, Jeanie dug around till she found her jeans. Her cell phone was vibrating in the pocket.

"Awe crappy," she muttered and retrieved it from the front pocket. Taking the phone, she flipped it open not bothering to check who the caller was.

"Hey Amber," Jeanie said in greeting. She headed back to her desk. She exited out of the search engine and turned her back to the screen.

"Uh-" Jeanie stuttered out as Amber went off on a rant before she could say anything other than her first initial greeting. She had a hard time following what all Amber was saying until the end.

"So like what happened to you today," Amber finally asked her.

_Okay_, Jeanie thought to herself before answering the question. _Lin must have gotten to Jim first._

"What do you mean," Jeanie asked vaguely, her eyes moving around her room. Her parents should be home soon which would mean having to head downstairs to help make dinner. She considered what her mother might be planning on making, hoping it might be spaghetti.

"You just ditched us," Amber accused her of doing exactly what they had done to her.

"Uh," was Jeanie's lame reply.

"Lin and I looked all over the place for you," Amber continued to lay into her. "Where did you go anyway?"

Jeanie could only shake her head at the ridiculousness of Amber's plight. Getting mad at her for doing something they did to her all the time and truthfully, she hadn't even really ditched them.

"I got a ride home," Jeanie admitted somewhat truthfully.

"By who," Amber asked her annoyed tone fading into one of curiosity.

"Uh-" Jeanie began, trying to come up with something plausible.

"Was it that Max guy," Amber asked giving her an out.

"Who- oh- yea," Jeanie was quick to agree. "Yea, he offered to give me a ride home, sorry I didn't tell you guys."

Jeanie rolled her eyes to the ceiling, mouthing the words _thank you._ Thank goodness for Amber coming up with an answer for her.

"Oh, I guess its okay then," Amber said. "Huh, so this Max guy is your neighbor?"

Jeanie nodded wondering where all of this interest was coming from. "Uh yea," Jeanie said when it occurred to her Amber wouldn't be able to see her nod her head in the affirmative.

"Oh cool," was the quick reply.

_Okay- _Jeanie trailed off in her mind.

She wondered if Amber remembered she'd actually met Max once at the neighborhood barbeque last year. It had not been a pleasant evening. Max had gone on and on about Star Trek and Obi Wan, or some such nonsense. Amber had thought he'd been talking about cologne and had told him that the smell didn't really suit him all that well.

Jeanie shook her head at the memory. It had defiantly been one interesting little get together in their backyard. The real fun had been when Max started to go off on World of Warcraft. Poor Lin had been ready to drown Max in the cooler.

"So remind me, what does Max look like," Amber asked her. "You should have him come out for Coffee with us sometime."

Jeanie closed her eyes against the ache that was starting in the middle of her forehead. "Uh Amber- do you remember that BBQ my parents had last summer. They invited the neighbors and everything-" Jeanie began.

"Yea-" Amber said. "It was totally cool until that freaky kid showed up and started talking about trolls and crap."

"Yea that would have been Max," Jeanie explained on a sigh.

"Oh-"

The sound of an engine revving had Jeanie nearly dropping the phone with a small cry of alarm. Lifting her head, her gaze went to the window. She had left it open the night before to keep cool during the night. She would swear the car's engine was coming from right outside her bedroom window. The sound came again, louder this time. The engine revved as if someone was pressing down on the gas pedal while parked.

_No freaking way!_

"What was that," Amber shouted at her from over the phone. "Jeanie are you okay- Jeanie!"

"Uh-" was her ever lame reply as Jeanie made her way to the open window. "Oh my god."

The familiar honk had her heart leaping to her throat. _How the hell_, she wondered. _How the hell did it find me?_

"I have to go," Jeanie said in a panic and immediately hung up on Amber.

Sticking her head out the window, she looked down at the familiar Camaro which was now parked in her driveway. Glaring at its gleaming yellow hood she pointed a threatening finger at it.

"What are you doing here," she asked it.

"_**Baby let's take a drive, top down underneath the Carolina sky, we can watch the fireflies try to outshine the stars, I wanna lay a blanket down find a way back to where our love was found, Baby lets go right now."**_

Jeanie frowned in return at the car's strange answer. She pursed her lips together for a moment to rein in her shock at seeing the car so soon. "We just went for a drive," she stated the obvious. "When I said we could go for another one, I meant like as in another day!"

Planting her hands on the windowsill, Jeanie narrowed her eyes against the sun shining off the hood of the car. It was nearly blinding. The car warbled and the sound that came forth was sad and pathetic.

"Oh come on, don't give me that," Jeanie whined in return but felt her heart tightening in sympathy. Was it really that lonely?

_Probably_, she thought to herself. If she was all by herself with no one to talk to she would feel a little lonely too. As much as she liked her solitude, she at least had some people she could talk to when she felt like it.

"Look," Jeanie began. "My parents will be home any minute now and they will freak if they see a strange car parked in the driveway."

Jeanie was going to ask it to park down the street and that she'd join it later and they could do whatever it wanted to do _later_, but the dejected look it gave her stilled her words. And yes the car looked dejected. It might have been for that moment a random cloud decided to dim the sun's rays, shading the car in shadows. If anything it seemed to deflate on its tires at her words.

"Fine," Jeanie relented with a slight growl. "I have to help make dinner and then afterwards we can hang out."

Pulling back from the window Jeanie hesitated slightly, wondering over her words. Was she really considering hanging out with a car? Strangely, the idea didn't seem so preposterous anymore.

Shaking her head, Jeanie turned from the window but was stopped by James Brown singing _'I Feel Good' _playing over the car's radio.

Jeanie laughed, shaking her head as she left her bedroom and headed downstairs. She had just reached the living room when the front door opened. At the sight of her dad and mom walking into the hallway, Jeanie felt her smile fall away.

She had been hoping to have some time before her parents got home to think over what she could tell them. Any thoughts of coming up with a good excuse went right out the proverbial window when the front door was shut and her parents stood in the living room looking at her.

"Jeanie," her dad called her name when he saw her. There was a confused expression on his face. "Whose car is that in the driveway?"

* * *

_Now that I've got that feeling again_  
_I can't explain you would not understand_  
_This is not how I am_  
_I have become comfortably Numb_  
_I have become comfortably Numb_

**Comfortably Numb, by Pink Floyd**

* * *

**AN: Sorry for such a long delay in this story. I have been more focused with my other story The Hunt Begins. But here is chapter four tell me what you think so far :)**

**Inky Out**


End file.
